I was wondering if there was anyone out here that would be interested in taking a stock wirining harness , engine side, and removing all the fusible links and doing all the things that are in the sticky?

Like installing the relays for the blower motor, the head lights, and installing some type of firewall mounted (and marked ) fuse box that would do away with all the fusable links that we all hate so much?

And anything else I know I am forgetting?

I was wondering if anyone actually did this or would ?

 

probably be Jim Lane if anybody.

 

If someone were to make sense of all that and make some sort of kit, they would stand make some pretty decent money. I know i'd be interested in buying. Upgrade all the wiring to something of thicker guage as well. Would be a lot of work though!

 

I highly doubt that there would be a company that would know what to do , let alone how to do it, but figured I would ask.

I didnt know if there were anyone out here that would actually do this...

 

I have actually had a plan in my head to remove the fusible links from a 1st gen harness tidy up that area, but I don't have a 1st gen truck to perform it on.

My idea was outlined briefly in this thread, complete with a picture of the main problem solver.

 

I have been planning on doing some electrical work since i bought my truck.
I do custom electrical systems on pleasure yachts. so beefing up a truck is not a big deal. I have a set of custom made battery cables and alternator output cables I have made up just sitting in my garage waiting to be installed.
you know how that is.... to many irons in the fire..
the biggest thing I do, when doing a major electrical rework on vehicles is run grounds for everything. then set a separate ground block, I have found most electrical problems are ground issues. then you are not relying on the chassis for your ground.
If their was significant interest i would consider building a jig... but it would take a considerable amount of r/d on my part. thats why i would want to see some interest. also copper is NOT cheap...

 

Here ya go....


Fuseable Link Replaced With Fuses

 

i would buy 2, one for my current truck and one for the next one i can afford.

 

Oops- forgot to add the link to the original thread. Here it is: https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...light=Junction

 

Replacing the fuse-links with a good breaker-box and fuse-block is not such a complicated task.

All that is required is to crimp/solder new lengths of wire onto the various wire ends, once the fuse-links are clipped away.

When you get done, all that is left is that single fat black cable that is the alternator charge-wire; it has the fattest GREEN fuse-link.

You can just leave that one intact or replace it with a Mega-Fuse.

The new wires go to the appropriate amperage breakers; the little ones can go to fuses.

All that stuff will get it's power straight from a battery-HOT junction-stud which you add.


One good reliable simple FREE way to build a HOT junction is to hammer flat a 6-inch length of copper pipe.

Drill one end to fit the 3/8 POSITIVE/HOT stud on the battery.

Mount a 3/8 and two 1/4 1-1/2"-long bolts in the other end; these bolts are for attaching anything that would otherwise be attached to the battery itself.

Thus, the only two things attached onto the battery stud will be this copper bar and the big HOT cable to the starter.


Cover the length of the copper bar with some large-size heat-shrink to prevent accidental short-circuiting, leaving bare the area that connects to the battery .

 

the biggest thing I do, when doing a major electrical rework on vehicles is run grounds for everything. then set a separate ground block, I have found most electrical problems are ground issues. then you are not relying on the chassis for your ground.


Would you care to expand on that for us non-mechanic types?I mean I do know which end of the pliers to use, sorta.

 

It is common practice on vehicles that the metal structure of the vehicle is used as the NEGATIVE/GROUND wire that completes the circuit.

"GROUND" is referred to as a good electrically sound connection to that metal structure.

What he means by a "separate GROUND block" ( I use them too ) is a terminal bar/block or stud that is itself securely "GROUNDed"/connected to the metal structure and battery NEGATIVE via a cable.

Any GROUND wires from any electrical accessories are then simply routed to this "GROUND block" and attached there, rather than having to connect *****-nilly hither-and-yon to the metal structure.


Having specific GROUND blocks keeps all GROUND connections located where inspection, cleaning, and insuring a good GROUND connection is all at one point, instead of scattered all over.




Myself, I go ahead and GROUND whatever accessory to the metal vehicle structure, PLUS I also add a separate GROUND wire that connects to the GROUND block; thus, each and every connection and wire adds electrical integrity to the entire GROUND circuit.



It is IMPOSSIBLE to have too many GROUNDs; the more, the better.


Does that explain it ??

 

what he said.... the only difference i run a separate ground wire to the main block from the battery that way im not relying on the chassis.
remember i wire boats for a living and grounding to a chassis is not an option being fiberglass in all. if the hull happens to be steel putting a ground to it is a BIG NO NO.
to sum it up i would take the neg lead from batt to a larger ground block. then from there i would jump to engine, alternator and to an other seprate smaller block for my elec acc. like lights, radio stuff like that...

 

I forgot to mention that I also add the cable from battery-NEGATIVE to my GROUND junctions; I am glad that you noted that.


I only rely on the chassis as a back-up GROUND, so to speak.


Actually, it would be preferable to completely isolate the chassis and other vehicle metal structure from the battery circuit.

Using the chassis as a current carrier rapidly hastens oxidation.


The old POSITIVE=GROUND vehicles deteriorated quickly which is why the industry changed to NEGATIVE=GROUND.


It surprises me that, in this disposable vehicle age, manufacturers haven't caught on to that and brought back the POSITIVE=GROUND.